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Sumter County Council unanimously approves CPST bond authorization and multiple ordinances
Summary
At its March 11 meeting, Sumter County Council granted final approval to a $40 million Capital Penny Sales Tax (CPST) bond authorization and approved several zoning and street-transfer ordinances; all recorded motions passed unanimously.
Sumter County Council on March 11 unanimously approved Ordinance #25-1018, authorizing general obligation bonds and bond anticipation notes not to exceed $40 million related to the Capital Penny Sales Tax referendum, and completed a series of other routine land-use and administrative measures.
County Attorney Johnathan Bryan presented Ordinance #25-1018 for third reading, noting the ordinance implements the county’s November 5, 2024 ballot question language authorizing a one-percent sales and use tax for up to eight years beginning May 1, 2025, and permitting bond issuance up to $40,000,000 to be paid from those tax proceeds. The ordinance also authorizes the county to engage Burr & Forman LLP as bond, disclosure, and tax counsel, Compass Municipal Advisors, LLC as financial advisor, and AMTEC Corp. as rebate advisor. After a motion by Councilman Artie Baker and a second by Councilwoman Tasha Gardner-Greene, the council voted to grant third reading approval; the motion was recorded as carried unanimously.
The council also approved multiple land-use measures in one session. Zoning Administrator Jeff Derwort presented OA-25-01 (first reading), an amendment to Article 5.b.3.g of the Sumter County Zoning & Development Standards that requires used motor vehicle parts merchant-warehouse operations with on-site dismantling or storage to be fully enclosed or screened from public view to a minimum height of 7 feet using an opaque wall, solid fence in earthy tones, or berm-and-fence/wall combination. The Planning Commission recommended approval; Councilman Charles T. Edens moved and Councilwoman Tasha Gardner-Greene seconded, and the measure received first-reading approval unanimously.
Council also granted third-reading approval to PD-06-05 (revision 2), a planned-development amendment to add commercial, industrial, institutional and retail uses at 1391 Mooneyhan Road; the item was moved by Councilman Artie Baker and seconded by Vice Chairman James R. Byrd Jr.
Two ordinances transferring so-called 'paper streets' to adjoining property owners — Ordinance #25-1020 (portion of Gibbons Street) and Ordinance #25-1021 (portion of Brookfield Road) — were presented by County Attorney Bryan and approved on second reading after motions by Vice Chairman Byrd (25-1020 moved, seconded by Councilman Baker) and Vice Chairman Byrd (25-1021 moved, seconded by Councilman Edens). These transfers were presented as property-consolidation measures to facilitate future development by adjacent landowners.
On a separate procedural item, the council approved Ordinance #25-1019 on second reading to restructure the Sumter City-County Litter Advisory Board by replacing the sheriff- and police-department representatives with one designated Litter Control Officer from both the city and county; the council discussed maintaining equal city-county representation and approved the ordinance (second reading) by unanimous vote.
Votes at a glance (recorded motions and outcomes): - Agenda approval: moved by Vice Chairman James R. Byrd Jr., seconded by Councilwoman Tasha Gardner-Greene; outcome: unanimously carried. - Minutes approval (Feb. 25, 2025): moved by Vice Chairman Byrd, seconded by Councilwoman Gardner-Greene; outcome: unanimously carried. - OA-25-01 (screening standards) — First reading: mover Charles T. Edens; seconder Tasha Gardner-Greene; outcome: first-reading approval (unanimous). - PD-06-05 (1391 Mooneyhan Rd.) — Third reading/adoption: mover Artie Baker; seconder James R. Byrd Jr.; outcome: adopted (unanimous). - Ordinance #25-1018 (CPST bond authorization) — Third reading/adoption: mover Artie Baker; seconder Tasha Gardner-Greene; outcome: adopted (unanimous). - Ordinance #25-1019 (Litter Advisory Board) — Second reading: motion/second recorded as by Chairman James T. McCain Jr.; outcome: second-reading approval (unanimous). - Ordinance #25-1020 (Gibbons St. transfer) — Second reading: mover James R. Byrd Jr.; seconder Artie Baker; outcome: second-reading approval (unanimous). - Ordinance #25-1021 (Brookfield Rd. transfer) — Second reading: mover James R. Byrd Jr.; seconder Charles T. Edens; outcome: second-reading approval (unanimous). - Adjournment: mover James R. Byrd Jr.; seconder Artie Baker; outcome: unanimously carried.
What this means: The county now has council authorization to issue bonds up to $40 million tied to the Capital Penny Sales Tax ballot question; final bond sale details, interest rates and maturities will be set by the county administrator or his designee per the ordinance language. Several land-use and administrative changes advanced or were adopted to facilitate screening standards for vehicle-parts operations and to consolidate certain 'paper street' parcels for future development. The litter-board restructure was approved on second reading; Council members reserved the ability to revisit representation questions.
The council adjourned at 6:39 p.m.
